Location not correctly reflected on Observations Map

Bug Reports
1

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Platform (Android, iOS, Website):

App version number, if a mobile app issue (shown under Settings or About):

Browser, if a website issue (Firefox, Chrome, etc) :

URLs (aka web addresses) of any relevant observations or pages:

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Description of problem (please provide a set of steps we can use to replicate the issue, and make as many as you need.):

Step 1: Website using Windows 10

Step 2:
image
All these observations were taken in a very few places (maybe six) with a small circle of accuracy however on the iNat map they are spread all over the place even kilometres away.

Step 3: Why is my circle (usually 100-200m) not being reflected on the map but random locations assigned? I start with a general location, eg an island name, then reduce the circle, move the centre to the actual location that I was snorkelling or diving.

4 Likes
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Your screenshot indicates that your issue almost certainly relates to obscured taxa. You’ll note that many of the points on the map are faded circles, rather than pins. These are records that have had their location obscured, hence, the location on the map appears different to the coordinates you input. If this is the case, this is not a bug, but expected behaviour. Taxa that are threatened and deemed to be at risk of disturbance, collection, etc., will have their locations automatically obscured (randomly scrambled into a box around the true location) when you upload them.

Providing some example links will help confirm this

5 Likes
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Thanks,@thebeachcomber, for the explanation. I hadn’t realised that is what happens. I checked quite a few and anything from NT (Near Threatened) up is scrambled as you said. So that is basically all corals and lots of other things.